Udi Subudi

There's pop and then there's Pop Music. Backstreet, Britney and 98 Aguileras are pop. Udi Subudi is Pop Music in the finest sense. The Milwaukee-based band is currently riding the beginning of what could be a killer wave of critical and commercial success. Produced by mastermind Gary Tanin; Tom Crowell, John Lennartz, Mark Pierret, Rick Forkes and David Wright's Won't Let Go is full of delightful hooks, excellent harmonies and well thought out lyrics. The melodies are infectious, the singing engaging, and the playing solid.

A friend of mine - Carl Baker - penned what he called Drive Rock n Roll. It's music that makes you want to get in the car, roll down the windows and let the stereo rip. He used the term to describe Baton Rouge's Star Drag and Milwaukee's Framing Amy. Udi Subudi is indeed an even finer example of the Drive sound.
- CYBERacine Webzine, Hot Ticket, April 15, 2000

Local pop-rock outfit Udi Subudi has the ear of the nation these days. Singles from the band's recently released EP Won't Let Go are getting airplay at more than 530 radio stations across the country. The title track has been added by WSAM-FM in Hartford , Conn., for a nationally syndicated broadcast. A second single, "As Far As I Can Tell," has been added to daily rotation on Trans-American Broadcasting's Best of Rock show, which reaches 78 radio stations in 37 states. Numerous other stations have also picked up two other singles, "Fray" and "That's Life." - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Music Notes, April 7, 2000

It's always a joy to hear refreshing local music, and the new EP from Udi Subudi will not disappoint their present fan base, or new fans either. "Won't Let Go," the title track of the new EP, is again power pop at its best, almost reminiscent of Big Star in the 70's or The Posies in the early 90's. The song, and the whole EP for that matter, includes good lyrics, catching guitar licks, and a toe-tapping beat that has been a trademark of this band's first effort and now on their new EP.

I also like the last track "Fray" a lot. Gary Tanin, who has produced his share of some really good Milwaukee rock, produced this EP, and it is definitely worth checking out and enjoying. I highly recommend the Won't Let GoEP from Udi Subudi
- Terry Havel_Music Director, WBSD FM - Burlington, WI, Host of Radio Chaos , WIIL FM - Kenosha, WI, M

Milwaukee's Udi Subudi plays the kind of brazenly obvious Top 40 that some rock critics hate, but that radio programmers (and often the masses) seem to love. The March 11 Filter Inn show celebrates the release of Udi's slickly produced new EP, Won't Let Go, which is chock full of catchy hooks and choruses. Unironic reference point: Hootie. - The Onion, Picks, March 9, 2000

"Udi Subudi’s ‘Hold That Thought’ was a major surprise; being not all that familiar with this new Milwaukee band, I was amazed at the strength of the music this group puts out. It’s power pop at it’s finest, excellent riffs, smooth melodies, and just great rock ‘n’ roll songs. I encourage you to check out their debut album." - Terry Havel, Music Director, 102.1 FM, WLUM, Milwaukee, WI, August, 1998

Local band's throwback pop a pleasant surprise
"There's an awful lot to like about this first release by a decidedly unfashionable local band. For starters, Udi Subudi has released an album of straight-ahead pop/rock that sounds a lot more late-70's early-80's than 1999. That takes guts, especially in an era where musical genres, sub-genres and divisions beyond have created enough descriptions to merit a technical dictionary. Other things to like about the group, composed of lead singer/harmonica John Lennartz, guitarist Tom Crowell (who doubles on bass, vocals and keyboards on the album) and dummer/vocalist Mark Pierret, include the subject matter of its all-original songs, which range from pleasant reminiscences about favorite childhood toys ("Parachute Man") and an exhortation to the rest of us to not forget the magic of youth years ("Walking on the Ceiling") to more serious topics and, of course, the usual loved-her-and-lost-her tunes. The jaunty "Be OK" addresses some weighty questions, and would easily merit an 85 were there an American Bandstand grader to judge it ("Its got a great beat, and you can dance to it").

"In the spirit of the best garage bands, Lennartz, Crowell and Pierret play with a passion and joy clearly evident in this very worthy freshman effort. Udi Subudi can also be heard live at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Milwaukee Alehouse on Water Street. And if you don't feel like going out that night, just turn on your radio, as the show will also be broadcast live on 102.1 FM, WLUM as part of Terry Havel's Sunday night "Radio Chaos" show, which includes live performances by local bands. The album is available at Brass Bell Music at Bayshore Mall and The Exclusive Company on Farwell Avenue."
- Outpost Exchange, Amy Waldman, Contributing Writer, Outpost Exhange, Fresh Sounds/Music Review, Janu

"Immediately catchy and irreverently optimistic, UDI SUBUDI’s "Hold That Thought..." combines the lack of sentimentality which graced the best of "mindless" eighties pop with the overwhelming questioning of purpose so familiar to the recent success of such songs as Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" or The Barenaked Ladies "One Week".

"As all true successful pop bands are able to blend the best components of a variety of musical genres into one cohesive melodic sub-text; so too does UDI SUBUDI succeed in combining the subtle nuances of country, folk and traditional rock n'roll without losing originality as a "power-pop" band. For example, they feature a driving country flavor in "Twice A Week", while "Only A Thought" is reminiscent of the clear, desolate folk sound of Boiled in Lead. All songs are built upon catchy guitar riffs, providing the foundation for its clear, easily understood, introspective vocals and toe-tapping rhythms.

"For a debut release, "Hold That Thought" was surprisingly refined and as radio-ready as any veteran attempt. In their own words, "here we are and there you have it - the past is in the can I'm looking forward to the future." Look out Hootie, here comes UDI SUBUDI! And we wish you well."
- Milwaukee One, Sean Churchill/Andrea Sciacca, Milwaukee One Online Entertainment Guide, September, 1

"Udi Subudi, relative newcomers to the midwest music scene, are on their way to establishing themselves as a prominent pop rock act. Their debut release, “Hold That Thought,” introduces catchy, melodic material that makes you wonder ‘Have I heard this band before?’ With songs that have you humming along and tapping your feet the first time you hear them, Udi Subudi is bound to draw some attention and have fans coming back for more." - Hardknocks Records, Mark Berschet, President, Hardknocks Records, (Madison, WI), August, 1998

Blending classic guitar hooks with winsome choruses, Udi Subudi evokes nostalgia for that bygone era when a variety of intelligent rock'n'roll could live happily under that one comprehensive word: alternative. "We're not writing to sound current. We're writing to sound real," says vocalist John Lennartz.

The thought translates into astute, unsentimental songwriting, making Udi Subudi as unique as its name. The intricate music and smart lyrics are sung by all three founding members-Lennartz, guitarist Tom Cromwell and drummer Mark Pierret. So catchy is their music that some Subudi songs sound like life's soundtrack.

The trio didn't rush into choosing a bass player and keyboardist, and decided to produce its first recording in 1998, long before they performed live. But that didn't seem to matter. Radio stations across the state added Udi Subudi to their playlists. A single, "Walking on the Ceiling," charted the top-50 at www.mp3.com. Udi's latest EP, Won't Let Go, released in February, has sold so well that the band is going back into the studio next month.

After finally rounding out the membership with bassist David Wright and keyboardist Rick Folkes, Udi Subudi believes its true power lives onstage. Clubs and fans are taking notice. Udi's summer schedule is laden with festivals, filling many slots usually reserved for cover bands. "We tried to warn the booking agents that we play original music," explains Lennartz, "but they liked that. They told us to just do what we always do."
- Shepherd Express Metro, The A-List, July 27, 2000

A lot of musicians out there claim they've been influenced by the greats: the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones. A few bands actually prove it.

Udi Subudi is one of those rare acts.

Like McCartney and Lennon, David Gilmour & Roger Waters, or Jagger and Richards, the Milwaukee-based quartet puts songwriting first. Their lyrics are smart but not pretentious, personal but not navel-gazing, laid over catchy melodies that recall classic rock 'n' roll without being derivative.

Udi Subudi's three-man vocal harmonies and bright guitars have gotten them labeled as "power pop." While the catch-all category doesn't really fit the band's sophisticated song-crafting, front man John Lennartz says it's a label they can live with.

"What's pop?" Lennartz says with a shrug. "It means people like you. But I long for the days when it will be just 'rock 'n' roll,' without all these classifications."

"We just do what we do," adds guitarist and vocalist Tom Crowell. "We don't try to be anything other than just a rock 'n' roll band."

That take-it-as-it-comes approach to making music has been an element of Udi Subudi since day one.

Drummer and vocalist Mark Pierret had played first with Lennartz and then Crowell in a few now-defunct bands. Two years ago, Pierret got Lennartz and Crowell together and the trio realized they had a common approach to making music - so why not make it together? They sat down and started writing. And writing.

"We could have kept writing and writing, but we said what the hell, let's record an album," says Crowell.

The trio - still missing a bass player - set up shop in Pierret's basement and recorded a dozen songs that became their self-released debut, "Hold That Thought."

The album was a year old before the band finally settled on a bassist, Burlington native David Wright. Only then, their lineup complete, did they start playing out.

Despite the band's relative newness, gigs came easily, including a spot at this year's Summerfest and another show that was broadcast live on WLUM-FM.

The band also received a publicity boost from posting their songs in the downloadable MP3 format at www.mp3.com, where their single, "Walking on the Ceiling," made the Top 50 - not bad, considering there were more than 6,000 other songs trying to chart.

As prolific as they are polished, Lennartz and his bandmates have already written a few dozen new songs with several more in various stages of development.

Four or five of those tunes, including the rollicking "Fray," will wind up on an EP the band plans to release by the end of the year. They've already enlisted the help of Milwaukee recording whiz Gary Tanin, who produced "A Good Day to Die," the debut album of the Sammy Llanas-fronted group Absinthe.

"We've been together two years and it's only getting stronger," says Lennartz. "A lot of bands out there don't hold up that long. We have, because we write for ourselves, and that's what's most important to us."

- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel September 3, 1999